Training to Care for Limited English Proficient Patients and Provision of Interpreter Services at U.S. Dental School Clinics

Abstract

Legal protections in the United States mandate that individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) have equal access to health care. However, LEP populations are at higher risk of poor health. Dental school clinics offer lower cost care by supervised dental students and often provide care for LEP patients. The aims of this study were to survey dental students about their clinical experience with LEP patients, the interpreter resources available at their dental school clinics, and the extent of instruction on these topics. Academic deans at 19 dental schools (30.6% of 62 invited schools) distributed the survey to their students, and the survey was completed by 325 students (4.2% of students at the 19 participating schools). Among the responding students, 44% reported their dental school clinic lacked formal interpreter services, and most of the respondents reported receiving minimal instruction on caring for LEP patients. Only 54% of the responding students reported feeling adequately prepared to manage LEP patients following graduation. These results suggest there is limited access to interpreter services for students while in dental school. A large proportion of these dental students thus reported feeling unprepared to treat LEP patients after graduation.Dr.

Creating and Evaluating Skills‐Based Training in Working with Spoken‐Language Interpreters for Oral Health Professions Students

“…Students experienced nervousness when seeing their patient was scheduled with an interpreter—“secretly hoping they would cancel,” as one commented. This result is consistent with the findings of Simon et al, who reported in 2017 a similar lack of confidence among students in working with patients who are LEP, even at graduation 12 . Additionally, like most schools in Simon et al's study published in 2016, 13 Minnesota's formal instruction in working with interpreters is presented briefly in a lecture format related to cultural competence and social determinants of health.…”

“…Dental school clinics often serve as safety‐net clinics and likely treat many patients who are LEP, yet many students have reported feeling unprepared to treat these patients on graduation 12 . In dental education, training in working with interpreters is varied.…”

English language proficiency, complete tooth loss, and recent dental visits among older adults in the United States

“…3 Dental providers report feeling underprepared to care for persons with LEP in the United States. 4 Unfortunately, not all safety net dental clinics recognize that in the United States, there is a legal obligation to care for persons with LEP. 5 For aging persons with LEP in the United States, access to dental care is a pressing concern given the relationship of biological aging with oral health decline.…”

Problems of education in foreign university dental clinics

“…Однако конституция регламентирует их равный с коренными жителями доступ к медицинской помощи. В связи с большим наплывом таких пациентов в клиниках стоматологических школ у стоматологов-студентов возникают определенные трудности [31,32]. Установлено, что подобные больные получают меньше внимания и худшее лечение, хотя имеют более низкие показатели здоровья, чем пациенты, у которых английский язык родной.…”

“…Хотя 90% респондентов и сообщили, что подобные пациенты получают стоматологическую помощь того же качества, что и основное население США, все же только 61,9% отметили, что после окончания института стоматологи полностью подготовлены к работе с этой категорией граждан. Приведенные данные свидетельствуют о том, что программу обучения студентов-стоматологов необходимо корректировать с целью их ознакомления с особенностями лечения пациентов с ограниченным знанием английского языка [32]. В соответствии с Законом 2009 г. HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health -Информационные технологии в здравоохранении и их значение для экономического и клинического развития) правительство США выделило 27 млрд долларов для стимулирования принятия и рационального использования сертифицированных электронных медицинских карт (EHR) врачами, включая стоматологов.…”